A Trio of Air Coolers
A trio of tower air coolers from Scythe’s extensive lineup
Scythe is a major player in the air cooling space with a dizzying array of coolers for virtually any application from the Japanese company. In addition to some of the most compact coolers in the business Scythe also offers some of the highest performing – and most quiet – tower coolers available. Two of the largest coolers in the lineup are the new Mugen 5 Rev. B, and the Grand Kama Cross 3 – the latter of which is one of their most outlandish designs.
Rounding out this review we also have a compact tower option from Scythe in the Byakko, which is a 130 mm tall cooler that can fit in a greater variety of enclosures than the Mugen 5 or Grand Kama Cross due to its lower profile. So how did each perform on the cooler test bench? We put these Scythe coolers against the Intel Core i7-7700K to see how potent their cooling abilities are when facing a CPU that gets quite toasty under load. Read on to see how this trio responded to the challenge!
| Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B SCMG-5100 |
Scythe Grand Kama Cross 3 SCGKC-3000 |
Scythe Byakko SCBYK-1000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Dimensions (HxWxD) | 154.5x130x110mm | 147x171x140mm | 130x102x83mm |
| Included Fan(s) |
Kaze Flex 120 PWM |
GlideStream 140 PWM 140x140x25mm |
Slip Stream 92 PWM 92x92x25mm |
| Fan Speed | 300-1200 RPM | 400-1300 RPM | 300-2300RPM |
| Heatsink Material | Nickel-Plated Copper, Aluminum Fins |
Nickel-Plated Copper, Aluminum Fins |
Nickel-Plated Copper, Aluminum Fins |
| Weight (with fans) | 890 g | 790 g | 415 g |
- Scythe Mugen 5 Rev. B: $47.99 - Amazon.com
- Scythe Grand Kama Cross 3: $44.99 - Newegg.com
- Scythe Byakko: $22.99 - Amazon.com
We'll begin with the Mugen 5 Rev.B, which is the latest large tower design from Scythe.
The Mugen 5 rev. B has as muscular a heatsink as I’ve encountered, with solid construction, no less than six heatpipes, and some seriously thick heatsink fins.
A quiet 120 mm fan that spins from 300-1200 RPM completes the package, and all recent CPU platforms are supported (AM4 support is provided via a hardware kit from Scythe).
The included hardware kit provides everything needed to get started, including thermal paste and even a screwdriver!
The mounting mechanism for the Mugen 5 is the same excellent system I encountered with the Scythe Ninja 4 (SCNJ-4000), which - for Intel installations - combines a metal backplate with threaded posts that are insulated with plastic washers to protect the motherboard surface.
Once the posts are tightened, a pair of metal brackets screw in place and then the cooler can be attached with a strudy metal cross bar - or in the case of the Mugen 5 Rev. B, an attached cross bar.
The end result is as secure as anything I've ever installed, and while not quite the same as Noctua's oustanding SecuFirm2 system I find Scythe's to be every bit as good.
The resulting installation is well clear of any obstructions on my motherboard, and should not pose any issue with memory.
Next we'll take a look at one of the most unusual cooler designs you'll ever see, the V-shaped Grand Kama Cross 3!
I personally would like to
I personally would like to see a roundup of only the best air coolers compared. D15, the Karma Cross here it seems, Le Grande Macho, etc. Interesting article.
What I don’t get about
What I don’t get about coolers is that silentpc review showed in 2014 (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Scythe_Kotetsu) that the kotetsu is quiet, powerful, and cheap. So, if I have 165mm to spare, why would I ever buy anything else, even if I wanted to pay more money? I’ve seen many cooler reviews in the last few years, but none seem to answer that question.
i have Grand Kama Cross 3
i have Grand Kama Cross 3 from more than a year and i like it quiet cooling for my CPU ( i7 6700 ) but its a big chunk of metal with mATX mobo and some cases it is a tight fit ( that what she said )
Hi
Scythe upgrade kit for
Hi
Scythe upgrade kit for AM4 is a bit not compatible with Kama Cross 3 i have been forced to modfiy mounting bracket is 1mm to wide you can see it here : https://s8.postimg.org/qxj0sbqed/cut.jpg